1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to metalworking and to a puller or pusher having a lever operator. More specifically, the invention relates to means to assemble or disassemble. The invention discloses a means to apply or remove a resilient article, such as a tube, sleeve, or shaft oil seal.
2. Description of Related Art
Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98—Shaft seals are widely used in engines and other devices to prevent oil or other liquids from escaping at the location where a shaft passes through a wall. A common mounting for a shaft seal is in a wall of an engine, in a circular recess encompassing a shaft passageway. Some recesses have a stop wall to prevent a seal from being pushed entirely through the wall during installation. Other recesses have no stop wall, and a seal can be pushed too far into the engine.
Shaft seals typically are constructed with an annular metal cage and a neoprene lip carried inside the cage and extending toward the center of the annulus. The lip contacts the motor shaft extending through the shaft passageway. The lip permits the shaft to rotate while preventing oil from escaping. The neoprene lip is subject to wear and the seal needs periodic replacement. Mechanics employ various seal pullers and seal removing techniques. Often a seal puller is a hooked rod that can be pushed between the lip of a seal and the shaft it rides against. The rod is hooked behind the metal cage and pulled to free the seal. Another technique employs a punch or drill to form a small hole in the seal cage. A screw is screwed into the hole, and the screw is pulled, such as with a pliers, to free the seal. Still another technique employs a screwdriver or other pry rod, inserted at an angle between the seal and shaft, to pry the seal free.
A continuing problem with any known removal tool or technique is that the motor shaft may become scratched at the contact point for the seal lip. Any scratch will cause the new seal to fail rapidly, resulting in an oil leak. Another problem is that the recess in the engine wall may be damaged, which also produces an oil leak. Still another problem is that the seal may be pushed back into the recess by the tool or technique intended for removal. If the seal strikes a stop wall, removal from the recess can be difficult. However, if a seal is pushed entirely through the engine wall, it becomes almost impossible to remove without vastly expanded disassembly of the engine.
A further problem has worsened with use of transverse-mounted engines. Many oil seals are used on crankshafts and camshafts, which also are transverse in the engine compartment of a vehicle having a transverse mounted engine. Very little room is available at the sides of an engine compartment. Often this prevents the use of conventional seal pullers, because there is no adequate room to insert or manipulate the tool.
It would be desirable to have a seal puller tool that can operate with reliability in the tight area between a seal and its shaft. Further, it would be desirable to have a seal puller tool that can be inserted through the interface between a seal and its shaft with minimal danger of scratching the shaft. In addition, it would be desirable to have a seal puller tool that can operate in a tight clearance, such as in the space between a transverse-mounted engine and a side of the engine compartment.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the method and apparatus of this invention may comprise the following.